Brent Crews helped Joe Gibbs Racing check another significant box Friday evening at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, delivering the team’s first-ever ARCA Menards Series victory at the venue with a masterful performance in the LiUNA! 150 presented by Dutch Boy.

The triumph marked not just a personal achievement for the talented young driver, but a historic milestone for one of NASCAR’s premier organizations. JGR’s ARCA program had never conquered the 0.686-mile Indianapolis short track until Crews’ strategic second-half surge carried him past early leader Brenden Queen and on to his second national ARCA victory of 2025.

“I was exhausted,” Crews admitted after climbing from his Toyota in Victory Lane. “This JGR group did an absolutely fabulous job at the break there. [Queen] was really good in the first half and I was giving everything I had trying to hang with him. I knew Matt [Ross] and the crew had something up their sleeve to get me that extra little bit at the halfway break and that’s exactly what he did.”

The victory carried extra significance for Crews, serving as redemption after a disappointing outing at Dover Motor Speedway in his most recent ARCA appearance. At Dover, while running patiently behind the leaders, Crews suffered a right-front tire failure off Turn 4 that sent him into the outside wall and resulted in a crushing 21st-place finish—the first time Gibbs’ ARCA team had placed outside the top 10 since William Sawalich’s crash at Dover the previous season.

Learning from that setback, Crews implemented the same patient strategy at Indianapolis: stay close early, then rely on crew chief Matt Ross to optimize the car during the competition caution. The approach proved brilliant, as early contact with Queen didn’t derail their plans, allowing Ross the opportunity to fine-tune the setup for the decisive second half.

The race’s turning point came during the competition yellow period, when Ross made crucial adjustments that transformed Crews’ Toyota from a car struggling to keep pace into a race-winner. As Queen’s machine began losing balance in the second half, Crews applied relentless pressure, setting up the decisive moment with 58 laps remaining.

Queen’s car got loose coming off Turn 2, providing Crews the opening he needed. The young driver dove underneath his rival through the next set of corners, executing a clean pass for the lead that he would never relinquish. From there, Crews managed the race expertly, pulling away during the final green-flag run to secure his third overall ARCA victory.

“We were too tight on throttle,” Queen explained after settling for third place following a late-race recovery drive. “It wasn’t like we made a big change or anything, but just enough to where I was loose in and loose off. Restarts weren’t going our way either, so we had to fight there and get what we could.”

While Crews celebrated his breakthrough at Indianapolis, the points battle took an intriguing turn. Queen’s second-half struggles allowed Lawless Alan, who entered the night second in the standings, to finish runner-up and cut into the points leader’s advantage. However, Queen’s spirited late-race charge from fifth or sixth back to third minimized the championship damage.

“Honestly, to get back to third there after being shuffled to fifth or sixth, I feel like that’s a good day for us,” Queen reflected, showing the perspective of a championship contender focused on the bigger picture.

For Crews, the victory represents remarkable efficiency—he has now won half of the ARCA Menards Series events he has entered in 2025, establishing himself as one of the series’ most potent threats whenever he takes the green flag.

The triumph provided Crews with renewed energy heading into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event that followed the ARCA race at Indianapolis. His mood was noticeably lifted as he contemplated the remaining opportunities in 2025.

“I have a lot more energy now that I’ve won,” Crews said in Victory Lane. “I think I’d be more down in the dumps if I didn’t. I’m just excited to go on this journey with Toyota Gazoo Racing and [drive] all these cool cars. It’s absolutely fabulous and I’m ready for the rest.”

Behind the top three, Isabella Robusto claimed fourth place after being passed by Queen during his late-race surge, while Lavar Scott rounded out the top five. The remainder of the top 10 featured Connor Mosack, ARCA Menards Series East points leader Isaac Kitzmiller, Jason Kitzmiller, Hunter Wright, and Thad Moffitt.

The finishing order reflected the competitive depth that has characterized the ARCA Menards Series throughout 2025, with multiple drivers and teams capable of contending for victories on any given weekend.

The ARCA caravan next heads to Iowa Speedway for the Atlas 150 on Friday, August 2, where both the national series and ARCA Menards Series East will compete. The green flag is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET, with FS1 providing live television coverage.

For Crews and the Joe Gibbs Racing organization, the Indianapolis victory serves as both validation of their program’s strength and motivation for continued success. Having broken through at a track that had previously eluded them, JGR’s ARCA effort can now focus on building momentum toward year-end championship contention.

The LiUNA! 150 presented by Dutch Boy will be remembered as the night Joe Gibbs Racing finally conquered Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, with Brent Crews delivering the breakthrough performance that had been years in the making. More importantly, it demonstrated the kind of strategic excellence and driver development that continues to make JGR one of motorsports’ premier organizations across all levels of competition.